Comparative Forms in German

Overview

Comparative forms let you compare two things: "bigger," "faster," "more interesting." In German, forming the comparative is more straightforward than in English — you almost always add -er to the adjective, regardless of its length. There is no equivalent of "more + adjective" for longer words. "Interesting" becomes "interessanter," not "more interessant." This simplicity makes comparatives very approachable at the A2 level.

The comparison word in German is als (than): "Er ist größer als ich" (He is taller than me). A few common adjectives have irregular comparative forms — gut → besser (good → better), viel → mehr (much → more), gern → lieber (gladly → more gladly) — but the majority follow the regular -er pattern.

Many one-syllable adjectives with a, o, or u also add an umlaut in the comparative: groß → größer, alt → älter, jung → jünger. This pattern is predictable enough to become second nature with practice.

How It Works

Regular Comparative Formation

Base Form	Comparative	English
klein	kleiner	smaller
schnell	schneller	faster
langsam	langsamer	slower
billig	billiger	cheaper
interessant	interessanter	more interesting
schön	schöner	more beautiful

Comparatives with Umlaut

Base Form	Comparative	English
alt	älter	older
jung	jünger	younger
groß	größer	bigger/taller
lang	länger	longer
kurz	kürzer	shorter
kalt	kälter	colder
warm	wärmer	warmer
stark	stärker	stronger

Irregular Comparatives

Base Form	Comparative	English
gut	besser	better
viel	mehr	more
gern	lieber	more gladly / prefer
hoch	höher	higher
nah	näher	nearer

Using als (than)

The word for "than" in comparisons is als (never "wie" or "dass"):

• Er ist größer als ich. (He is taller than me.)
• Berlin ist größer als München. (Berlin is bigger than Munich.)

Comparative adjectives before nouns

When a comparative adjective comes before a noun, it still takes normal adjective endings:

• Ein größeres Haus. (A bigger house.)
• Die schnellere Lösung. (The faster solution.)

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Er ist größer als ich.	He is taller than me.	Umlaut + als
Das ist besser.	That is better.	Irregular: gut → besser
Sie läuft schneller als er.	She runs faster than him.	Regular -er
Dieses Buch ist interessanter.	This book is more interesting.	Long adjective, still just -er
Ich bin älter als mein Bruder.	I am older than my brother.	Umlaut: alt → älter
Berlin ist kälter als Rom.	Berlin is colder than Rome.	Umlaut: kalt → kälter
Er trinkt lieber Tee als Kaffee.	He prefers tea to coffee.	Irregular: gern → lieber
Das ist eine billigere Option.	That is a cheaper option.	Comparative + adjective ending
Ich brauche ein größeres Auto.	I need a bigger car.	Comparative + neuter ending
Heute ist es wärmer als gestern.	Today it is warmer than yesterday.	Umlaut: warm → wärmer

Common Mistakes

Using "wie" instead of "als" for comparisons

• Wrong: Er ist größer wie ich.
• Right: Er ist größer als ich.
• Why: "Als" is the correct word for unequal comparisons (bigger than). "Wie" is used for equal comparisons (as big as = so groß wie). Note: "größer wie" is heard in some dialects but is considered nonstandard.

Forgetting the umlaut

• Wrong: Er ist groβer als ich.
• Right: Er ist größer als ich.
• Why: Many common one-syllable adjectives with a, o, or u require an umlaut in the comparative.

Adding "mehr" before the adjective (English influence)

• Wrong: Das ist mehr interessant.
• Right: Das ist interessanter.
• Why: German does not use "mehr" + adjective for comparatives (unlike English "more interesting"). Simply add -er to any adjective.

Usage Notes

The equal comparison ("as ... as") uses so ... wie in German: "Er ist so groß wie ich" (He is as tall as me). Do not confuse this with the unequal comparison using als.

In colloquial speech, especially in southern Germany, you may hear "wie" used instead of "als" for unequal comparisons: "größer wie ich." While widespread in dialects, this is considered incorrect in standard German and should be avoided in writing and formal speech.

The comparative can also express a moderate degree without an explicit comparison: "ein älterer Herr" (an elderly/older gentleman), "eine längere Reise" (a fairly long trip). This usage is common and does not require "als."

Practice Tips

1. Take ten adjectives you know well and form their comparatives. Check which ones need an umlaut. Then make sentences comparing things around you: "Mein Schreibtisch ist größer als mein Stuhl."
2. Memorize the three key irregular forms (gut → besser, viel → mehr, gern → lieber) as a priority — these are extremely frequent in daily conversation.
3. Practice the als/wie distinction with paired sentences: "Er ist größer als ich" (taller than) vs. "Er ist so groß wie ich" (as tall as).

Related Concepts

• Predicate Adjectives — adjectives in their base form, which comparatives build on
• Superlative Forms — the next step: expressing the highest degree (biggest, fastest, best)